Zoom Into The Future

Yesterday, we did a workshop over Zoom for incoming college freshmen.  We figured it would be a good practice run for the upcoming semester, but I realized we have a lot to learn to make this go smoothly.

We had 32 students enrolled in the workshop.  I adjusted the video settings so I could fit up to 49 participants on screen and see each face with a name.  That was a benefit because instantly, we had names and faces so we could call on them.  We ask them to keep their microphones muted until they were ready to speak.  Right from the start, the “raise your hand” feature did not work as well as we would like.  It seemed to be better just having them key their mic and take turns contributing.  Only occasionally did they talk over one another, but most realized someone else was speaking and waited their turn.

So we could see everyone, we had names and faces, and when we asked a question, they responded.  We even went through all participants to find out their majors and what they were anticipating for the coming school year.  At one point, I had to share my screen with the participants to show a PowerPoint presentation.  I was able to get the PowerPoint up and running and all students had access.  During the presentation, we needed to play a short clip from a YouTube video embedded in the PowerPoint.  It did not work.  The students could only see a blank screen.  This caused some anxiety because the video was important to the workshop.

We wanted to pause after the video and launch a discussion.  Since the video was a no-go, I switched off the shared screen and went back to faces and names.  Teachers always need a “Plan B” in case something goes wrong.  We still had a good discussion, and each student who wished to speak waited for one to finish before unmuting and offering a comment.  There was a slight delay as we switched from one speaker to another.  This does remove some of the spontaneity and free flow of ideas due to delays, but with practice, I think it will be better.  I did not realize how much I relied on physical cues from my students, their body language, their facial expressions, to know if I was reaching them and making sense.  With practice, our discussion and interaction will be more seamless and less hesitant.

After the discussion, we had one other video clip we wanted to show to finish the presentation.  I shared my screen again, but it too failed to play.  I made a note to research this later.  We ended the presentation, the students thanked us, and we signed off.

Our goals for the workshop were simple:  we wanted students to learn ways to be socially and politically active, to transform their classroom learning into social justice, to learn the history of social engagement and activism at the university, and to develop cultural and political awareness in everyday life.  Each of these objectives needed discussion and input from the students.  It could not be a one way presentation.  This discussion methodology is how I teach all of my classes, so overcoming the limitations of Zoom so the ideas flow freely without delays will be critical to future success.

This experience was not perfect.  We now must evaluate on two levels:  were the students drawn in by the subject matter and did they remain focused throughout?  And, did the platform and features function as we wanted?  Before this, I needed only worry about the first part.  Now, both must be practiced to ensure success.

The question remains, is holding class remotely equal to the face-to-face experience?  It is a different experience, but not less.  The key is using the technology to its fullest potential.  I want to cut the lag time between question and answer.  I want the free flow of ideas.  It is possible, I believe, with practice.